Pokemon Trainer Me
by Billy Maiden
Summary: While sifting through an old box of memories, my childhood comes back to me for that wonderful reflective moment in time. Then, things start to get a bit weird. As in, I have an outline in black, the world around me is outlined in varying lines of black, and Professor Samuel Oak is now breaking the fourth wall. Joy joy.


**_I do not own Pokemon and, for the record, I do not own any rights to the things I name in the story. To each with their own respective copyright policies, this is a story for nonprofit leisure at my own discretion._**

**_H_ello, this is your humble author Billy Maiden typing. This is a story that came up in the recesses of my mind, and I thought I'd give it a shot. This will not be a periodical update, though this story is multi-chapter in length. I update and write when I feel like it, and only one person can tell me otherwise. That being said, please enjoy at your leisure and feel free to review if you feel the need.**

**Summary: Getting ready for work in the real world, my character stumbles upon a box of old memories in a dresser drawer. What happens afterward proceeds to change the story of my character's life dramatically.**

* * *

Going through an old box that held some of my belongings of childhood's past, I stumbled onto something extraordinary, especially nowadays with the prices of games as high as they are. My old Pokemon games! There were the Yellow, the Blue, even the Red version that started it all for everyone except for me. No, that distinction actually went to my old Gold version, the games after the RBY series. The very one that decided to crap out on me and delete my save file after I had finally gotten my starter, Feraligatr, up to Level 100 without the usage of Rare Candies. Even Tyranitar and Dragonair, my trusty backups that loved destroying everything about Lance whenever I took the challenge. My Silver was there, with Typhlosion and Magneton there right as I was about to take on Jasmine for the sixth badge.

As I ruffled through some more, I even found the one game...well, two technically, that I thought I'd never see again; my two Crystal versions. The very one where Meganium, Typhlosion, and Feraligatr were together, each above Level 80, my beloved Tyranitar at level 97, my friend's beloved Arcanine at Level 96. The very game that was stolen from me while I was inside a department store merely days before Christmas. Even my third-generation Ruby, Sapphire, and two Emeralds were there, along with my FireRed version. No, I didn't have LeafGreen because I'm American and we believe in the RedBlue rivalry like the idiots we are. I never had the fourth-generation Diamond or Pearl, for I found them all to be absolutely worthless in my eyes until the third game, Platinum, came out, in which case I had given to me by my aunt on Christmas Day.

Even HeartGold was there, the one that my friend's dog decided to munch on when I wasn't looking, the one where I had just reset everything to new and was looking to restart and do the challenge the right way with my old buddy, Feraligatr. Yes, my SoulSilver was there, with Quilava and Pikachu there as well and even my fifth-generation Pokemon Black...2. All of my games that I ever truly enjoyed more than anything my game consoles could offer me (yes, even you, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3!) were right there, along with my black chewed-up Gameboy Advance, the indigo GameBoy Color, my friend's teal GameBoy Pocket, and my currently broken silver Gameboy Advance SP.

However, I also noticed something was amiss... for I never had a red GameBoy Advance before, especially not one with as shiny and pristine as this one. The buttons were slightly bigger, the trigger buttons on the sides contouring perfectly to my pudgy sausage links for fingers, and the screen came up as soon as I touched it, which never happens. To further broaden my elated state of confusion, I saw a game inside the box that befuddled me. It had the Pokemon logo, but no name and it was the same exact color as the DS. Checking the cartridge and blowing into it lightly like the idiot I was (supposedly, that's the reason a lot of Pokemon games break...way to not tell the children how to clean it properly, money-mongering POS's!), I inserted it into the slot holder and immediately was greeted with a meme of all things popping up onto the screen saying, 'Nintendo DS: Still not as good as the GameBoy Advance; ask your local childhood.' before I felt a pull in my chest. It was strong enough that I felt like I was being sucked into the screen of the game.

That's because I was.

I blacked out, the pain too much to bear as my lungs were void of air right before nothingness filled my eyes.

...

...

...!

..!

!-

"Ow! ...the hulk happened there?!" I asked no one in particular, not realizing that I still couldn't see. Panic set in, I looked around all over the place, my head feeling like it was trapped in a pressure cooker. After a few moments, I saw something sparkly, in many different colors but opaqued by the blackness, flickering about around my... "Wait a second...," I said to myself, randomly hearing a chorus sing that same phrase to a really campy-sounding orchestra in the deep recesses of my mind that is my very own mental jukebox. Briefly composing myself and ignoring the sounds of music, I realized that, once the troll faces stopped tap-dancing in sweaty kilts all over my head...color! Light! Valleys! Hills! And-

"Why, hello there young man!"

Social activity!

I got a good look at the man's face, aged comfortably between elderly prophet and old geezer, with not even a speck or stubble of hair beneath his small nose, his mouth crooked upwards outlined by a black line that helped me tell that he was smirking. He had spiked up brown hair with that perfect halfway withered look that plainly said 'grey hairs' and his eyes were beady and awkwardly thin, so much so that I almost didn't catch that he had brown eyes, let alone pigment between the whites. A white lab coat over an orange shirt with khaki pants and black shiny boots was what he wore, and for some reason it was all outlined in black, as if he were drawn...

My face went blank, pale as a ghost. I could've sworn, had a mirror been shown of my face at that moment, the poker face would've been born into the internet world again, revised and full of outright fail. I looked around and, sure enough, the hills were outlined by grass that was outlined by ultra-thin black lines as it faded perfectly into the sky above it, a light shade of blue with exactly one cloud in the shape of a small nimbus. I could've sworn I heard someone...something...bellowing out in high-pitched laughter from that general direction. I put it behind me, taking the man's hand, noting silently to myself that I had the same black lines outlining my hand as I got up and looked him in the face. Another wave of stupid crashed into me and my psyche became a crying heap of a boy in the fetal position with a random soul crab walking around on the side of his thigh.

I was staring at Professor Samuel Oak.

...

Holy Shellder.

"So, what's your name, young man?" he asked with an air of curiosity; about as much as one can have for randomly stumbling upon an unconscious 20-year old man in the middle of Pallet Town's grasslands. The only reason I knew it was at least Pallet Town was because of the lab with a giant windmill in the distance just beyond him. At least I know I remembered that from the ever-famous anime I grew up watching. Working up a voice, I rubbed my head and muttered out,

"Billy. Billy Maiden."

It was the very minimum of what I could've done in that situation and, since I admittedly had some sense of…well, sense, I stuck with that response over fumbling over 'right' and 'wrong' words. The professor seemed content with that answer and, with a jerk of his thumb, motioned me over to walk with him to the lab. Nodding silently to myself, I walked forward with my eyes metaphorically glued to the floor. Noting that my outfit stayed the same from the universe skip, I put the relief that I was at least clothed behind me and pulled even with the professor. I noted with no amount of surprise that he was definitely a whole head taller than me. Mock depression set in as I wallowed in the misery of being 20 years old and well under six feet tall…and further escalated from the fact that I was 20 years old and inside a Pokemon world.

"So…," Oak started, as I focused on him, away from my former lamentations. "What were you doing out in the middle of the meadow like that? You certainly looked dead to me!" he half-joked, as one of my eyebrows quirked upward and indignation flooded over me briefly. I knew I wasn't a morning person, but I looked that bad?!

"I don't really know…guess that hangover from drinking with my best friend did me in last night. I really don't know how I got here," I pondered aloud. Both were true, at least on my side of the universe. The box of games was in the bottom drawer of my dresser, one below my shirt drawer, which I was opening after my hung-over mistake before stumbling upon the box. I had work in the morning, so I was in my usual attire of black slacks, blue-grey skate shoes, with my maroon hoodie draped over my shoulders. Minus the shirt, which was where this all started. While I was couch-bound last night, my best friend was sleeping in my bed peacefully; unaware of anything thanks to the fact that she's a heavy sleeper. As I saw the professor's face scrunch up at the insinuation of alcohol consumption, I thought back to my friend and how she'd react to me not being there. It wasn't like she'd worry too much, since I was supposed to have work this morning and I usually skateboard there since it's such a short distance, but that did nothing to alleviate the situation on my end. Eventually, she'd know something was amiss. Factor in my family and the few close friends I had plans with this week and one thing came up that motivated me more than anything.

'I need to get back home.'

As we walked up the winding staircase and into the lab, I realized as the winds blew against me that my jacket was still on my shoulders, whipping about. I looked down and noted that my attire was still the same, minus a shirt though the hoodie could be zipped up anyway. Relief flooded through me that at least clothing applied to this crazy trip through universes. Soon afterward, we reached the door and Oak, being the gentleman I knew he was as soon as I met him, let me enter. I couldn't stand school, but ironically loved reading and writing, and subsequently delved into arts like drawing and music. That history alone made me nearly faint, as I saw text after text stacked neatly almost 20 rows high over some of the walls covering the massive labyrinth of a…laboratory. All of this information, practically at the beck and call of this man, who ironically focuses more on technology and advanced field studies, was a mind-trip from another dimension for me…

Wow, the irony of that irony inside of that irony.

"Hey, you okay Billy? I see you're looking around at the walls…every one of those books are important to me; I've either read them or written them, and at least a chapter of each has been heeded and hemmed into my research," Oak said, looking a bit reflective in his elder age from my side. Like a fish out of water, I looked again at the walls after giving him the respect of facing him while he spoke. Regardless of how much I thought I knew, there were always people who simply…knew more. Even though he was fictional, the regal posture and calm look in Professor Oak's face certified him as one of those people. As if I didn't know that already from all the years of playing the games. Only one blemish was on his record; forgetfulness. And I watched it first-hand.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I have two new trainers coming in to receive their starting Pokemon!" Oak exclaimed, becoming a busybody in the time-span of nothing flat. A few minutes went by, as I scooted my shoe along the ground every now and then, going through my annoying habits of biting the ends of my nails and drumming an imaginary beat with my feet. I heard a knock at the door, so loud it broke my foot drum rhythm before Professor Oak yelled out for them to enter (how did he know it was them?). Entering were two kids, at the very least I could tell they were. The first was a brunette girl, with her blatantly straightened hair pulled into a ponytail that went halfway down her back, dressed in chic fashion that looked uncomfortably tight at the top. At least she had a traveling knapsack to show she was somewhat ready for a journey.

I quickly moved my eyes over to the second person, for sheer fear of gouging them out on instinct. Thankfully, I was met with another brunette girl, this time wearing a more modest attire that frankly told me she was ready for travel; black shirt, white jacket hanging open over the shoulders, jeans, grey sneakers, and a maroon heavy-duty backpack. Her hair was more of an amber color, slightly shorter than her counterpart though admittedly very wild and seemingly unkempt. She sent a small smile my way, though her face clearly said 'who are you?', while the chic girl sent me a quirked eyebrow for the briefest of moments before looking to Professor Oak, who was standing at my side (how did he slip my attention to get that close?). He faced the amber-haired girl to my left and greeted the both of them.

"Ah, Laylan Henderson! And Jackie Sproles! Good to see you both again! Your parents called in last night and said you'd be here bright and early. Good on you for not disappointing them! Are you both ready to receive your Pokemon?" he asked, as both girls sent enthusiastically delayed responses. However, something I didn't expect was for Professor Oak to turn to me and ask, "Are you already a trainer?"

Though when I played the games, I became the master many times over, but this…

"No. I know how to handle one, but no I've never had one," I said, not quite sure why he was asking me that question. Of course, for someone twice their age, even I didn't catch their shock at the Professor's hidden insinuation, which they both caught onto rather quickly. One point for chic chick on that one, admittedly.

"Would you like to join them in becoming a Pokemon Trainer? Obviously, you don't have to travel with them, but I can't in good conscience send you back to where you came unprotected," Oak half-explained and offered, as my face took on a neutral expression of sheer stupid.

A 20-year old with a job and some semblance of a future…becoming a real Pokemon trainer.

'Please God…at Your word let it be done, and send me back home!'

"Of course! I'd be honored to care for one of your starter Pokemon, Professor!" I said, much to my shock. More so because of the fact that I didn't just say it, I bellowed it. Like my dream was coming true.

Ten years later than I thought.

"Then it's set! Bulbasaur's finally going to have a home, for the first time since my grandson and his friends started their journey almost five years ago!" Professor Oak exclaimed, all the more stirring for me as well, since the games were seemingly just like in this world, where the protagonist chooses the fire type and the antagonist chooses the water type, leaving the grass type all alone.

"I'll happily take that Bulbasaur then," I said, walking over to the contraption and taking the Pokeball before the girls could move. The ball felt so weird in my hands that I recoiled slightly at its cold metallic in my palm. It felt…alive. I touched the centerpiece with my index finger, and my world exploded. The life I felt flowed out with the bright light at such a rapid pace that it took all I mentally had to not cry tears of joy. Laylan and Jackie crowded around me, for regardless of if they knew me or not, this was a big moment in my life…to them. A shape formed with the light and materialized into the figure I always remembered. However, it all became painfully obvious to me as soon as I heard it call out.

'Bulba-bulba-Saur!'

This was really happening. And until I found a way back to my world, this little lonely Pokemon would be under my care. It was my responsibility now.

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**First chapter complete. So, I need to get back home. The only way I was doing that was with a Pokemon to help, and my first acquaintances are an elderly Professor and two girls half my age. And my best friend is currently sleeping soundly on my bed in the real world, unaware of these latest transgressions. And my parents are none the wiser of even her being in my house. Joy joy.**


End file.
